When articles are applied to absorb bodily liquids discharged, bacterial decomposition of the secretion occurs and evolves the emission of unpleasant odors. In many cases such discharge due to injury leads to the growth of pathogenic microbes.
Urinary incontinence is manifested by the inability to control urination, some or all the time. It is usually caused by an underlying illness or ailment, such as paralysis or relaxation of sphincters or contraction of longitudinal muscular layer of bladder. Elderly people are more vulnerable to incontinence than younger people since their muscles and ligaments that control urination are less effective.
Urine consists of approx. 95% water and 5% solids. The main organic substances in the urine of healthy person are; urea, uric acid, creatine, creatinine and ammnonia. The inorganic substances are; sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous compounds. In addition to the above, many other substances may be present depending on the diet and state of health of the individual. Among component substances indicating pathological states are albumin, glucose, ketone bodies, blood, pus, casts and bacteria.
The odor of freshly discharged urine of a healthy person is faintly aromatic. When urine is allowed to decompose, it emits usually a strong and offensive odor of ammoniacal nature.
People with urinary incontinence often withdraw socially. Although pads and diapers are available commercially to maintain daily hygiene, infrequent changes of them cause the decomposition of the urine. The process of decomposition of urine in the absorbing layer of the pad is accelerated due to the warming effect of the body of the user.
Menstrual flow consists of blood, vaginal and cervical secretions and tissue sloughed from the lining of the uterus. The menstrual fluid which contains microorganisms can generate malodorous volatile byproducts, over a period of as short as four hours. With some compounds in this fluid the odor can be formed as soon as it exits the body.
Excessive or prolonged perspiration of the body, may turn to be malodorous. The fetid odor is caused by decomposition of the sweat and cellular debris of the skin by bacteria and yeast.
Various compounds and products are useful in controlling malodor due to bodily fluids. Certain types are more effective against specific types of malodors.
Canadian Patent No. 474,818 discloses a sanitary napkin which incorporates a quaternary ammonium salt into the cellulose pad. The ammonium salt reacts with the odor producing matter in the liquid body excretion and prevents the subsequent development of odors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,034 discloses a body waste fluid absorbent pad. A substantial portion of the pad has a water soluble, weakly acidic, buffered solid composition. The controlled pH of the buffered pad inhibits the formation of ammonia and volatile amines from the urea, uric acid, amino acid and peptones in the body waste liquid, by bacterial and enzyme action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,309 discloses moisture absorbent pad incorporating bacterial static agents for the prevention of biological degradation of urine. The absorbent may also include an acidic substance (such as boric or citric acid) for absorbing volatile nitrogenous compounds.
European Patent No. 0 510 619 A1 discloses article for absorbing bodily fluids and controlling malodor created by the presence of bodily fluids. The article comprising of layers of materials; one of them may contain bacterial growth inhibitors and another may contain an odor control complex. The bacterial growth inhibitors such as solution of chlorhexidine digluconate is applied onto a carrier layer such as cotton fabric pulp and others by impregnation or spraying.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,820 and 4,675,014 disclose methods of treating cellulose materials through substituting the cellulose anhydroglucose units by anionic moieties such as: --PO.sub.3 H.sup.(-) ; --(CH.sub.2).sub.n PO.sub.3 H.sup.(-) ; --(CH.sub.2).sub.n SO.sub.3.sup.(-) ; or --(CH.sub.2).sub.n COO.sup.(-) where n from 1 to 3; and capped by copper cations to the extent that the treated cellulose fibers bind from 0.1 to about 3% by weight of copper. The copper-modified cellulose fibrous material is claimed to possess deodorizing and microbistatic properties.
While the documents discussed above may disclose products which exhibit some of the characteristics of the present invention, none of them discloses or suggests the present invention which achieves simultaneously the following objectives:
producing cellulose substrates (pulp, fiber-mass, yarn, fabric, non-woven, etc.) treated with bacteria growth inhibitor which can be used entirely or partly in products such as pads, diapers, sanitary napkins, bed sheets, pants, garments etc. The absorbency of the cellulose substrate is not impaired by the treatment with the bacteria growth inhibitor PA1 the bacteria growth inhibitor is capable of inhibiting the growth of bacteria present in bodily fluids such as urine, menstrual fluid, perspiration etc. and in the product itself while not disturbing the normal flora present on the skin's surface PA1 the bacteria growth inhibitor is ionic compounded to the substrate PA1 the activity of the bacteria growth inhibitor can be regulated PA1 the bacteria growth inhibitor resists purging action by a stream of bodily liquids hence it maintains its activity throughout the treated substrate under flow of liquids. PA1 the bacteria growth inhibitor resists washing hence it is suitable to be used, to a certain extent, also for non-disposable products.